Led by Nancy Beverly and Heidi Lennartz
By Heidi Lennartz
Twelve hikers met up at Placerita Canyon State Park (home of the Placerita Canyon Nature Center) in Newhall to trek up Canyon Trail to the Waterfall. It was a beautiful fall day. Canyon Trail usually has water in the creek and in the falls, but this day was the “dry” before the coming storm.
We hiked through the shaded oak groves, the willows, poison oak, and sycamore-lined streambeds, reaching the Walker Ranch. In the early 1900s, this area was homesteaded by the Walker Family (12 children!) who were in search of oil, gold, and any other lucrative livelihood in this rustic region, formerly native Tatavium and Tongva lands.
Of note, Francisco López was the Spanish settler who discovered gold in this canyon in 1842, seeing gold flakes on the ground as he awoke from a nap under the “Oak of the Golden Dream” located now in this State Park. Considered the “spark” of the future Gold Rush of 1849, this brought many others to California, including the Walkers.
Our group photo was taken on the fireplace ruins of the Walker Ranch, made of indigenous rock called Gneiss, a metamorphic rock, whose alternating bands of light and dark color make it most decorative. We continued on another ¾ mile up the narrow Waterfall Canyon until it came to a dead end of 40-50′ rock walls. With little room for a group break spot, we ventured back to Walker Ranch site for our break and snack.
Heidi and Nancy shared information about becoming a Sierra Club Leader, handing out the “10 Essentials” list and “Steps to Becoming a Leader”. Other hikers shared their experiences being part of GLS over the years and how important it’s been to their sense of community, giving back to the community, and the many unique learning opportunities that come with being a member of Sierra Club.
All in all, a great day of hiking, dancing, and sharing in the beautiful outdoors!
Here are some of the injured birds recovering in cages at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center. Photos from Nancy Beverly.
